Tension in Anambra community as senior police officer shoots kinsman dead

Colleagues, others try cover-up; victim's family fights back

The sleepy community of Alor, the country home of the immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, Idemili South Council of Anambra State, has been thrown into palpable tension as a senior police officer has reportedly shot dead one of his kinsmen.

The suspect, Obinna Anikwenze (SP), a senior officer serving in the State, was said to be notorious for the display of rascality, and unprofessional intimidation of kinsmen, neighbors and passers-bye during family, village and local community meetings with gun.

He was said to have fatally shot one Mr Chinedu Okoye, his cousin on August 2, 2025 during the community’s celebration of this year’s New Yam festival, for no apparent reason.

Problem was said to have started when Umuru-Ide community in Alor attempted to change their leadership due to what they called financial mismanagement, lack of transparency and and non-accountability.

“But Supol Obinna Anikwenze and his cohorts would not have such positive development in their community as he always attend the community meeting with a service pistol threatening to gun down anybody who dared oppose him having his way.

It was so notorious that even the President General of Alor had protested against the police officer in writing. Tl

He noted that his indiscriminate waving of gun at meetings have made it impossible for sincere contributions and inputs.

According to him, even to attend or freedom of speech had become a rare commodity within Umuru Ide village and Alor larger community because of this senior police officer frightening conduct.

“On August 6th, Anikwenze attended a pathfinding meeting with a pistol and hijacked proceedings. He allegedly ensured that the minutes of previous meeting was not read at all.

He and his cohorts forcefully arrogated so much powers to themselves and eventually constituted themselves into the community’s “Elders’ Council”.

The Alor People’s Convention, the umbrella body for all the villages and quarters in the town that produced the likes of Dr Chris Ngige, the former Anambra State Governor and Minister, late Chief P.N Okeke, himself a former Commissioner, and late Chief Ben Anyachebelu (Ichie Oshimili), amongst numerous others, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in charge of Zone 13, Ukpo, Anambra State and  the Anambra State Police Commissioner (CP) about the officer’s disturbing conduct.

Consequently the Alor People’s Convention, the umbrella body of the community under the leadership of Chief Emma Ojukwu (Agbigwe) in a letter to IGP, AIG, CP wants the police high command to step into the brewing crises occasioned by the murder of an innocent person by a police officer in the community without delay to avoid unforseen circumstances.

He recalled that Umuru-Ide community had on 31st December, 2024 in an official letter complained about the rascality and recklessness of SP Obinna Anikwenze especially by the way he was subjecting his kinsmen into undue silence by criminal use of official police service pistol.

Ojukwu who presented copies of his petitions to the relevant authorities told journalists that the need for the authorities to step into the matter has become imperative to avoid dangerous implosion in Alor community.

Mr Okoye, a relation and elder brother of the late victim told journalists that they “had been summoned by the traditional ruler of the community yesterday”.

He however promised to disclose the outcome of the meeting.

His silence has  now put the youth of the area on edge as they were rearing to exact justice on Anikwenze and anyone attempting to stop them.

One of them who gave his name simply as Chike said ” we have tolerated the man’s fuck-up for too long. How can he leave sambisa forest and hid himself in his village waving gun menacingly at every boy, girl, aged and young.

“Let’s face him squarely so that whatever want to happen let it be right now, here and today.

Efforts to get any comments from the Igwe Elibe Okonkwo didn’t yield success.

A visit to the office of the Nnobi Police division met officers who were not ready to say anything. But one officer who never want his name mentioned in the media noted that several reports on Anikwenze were before now received in the station. That it was clear that he remains a threat and security risk to the society.

From Chuks Collins, Awka